The honour of Pontefract, also known as the feudal barony of Pontefract, was an English

feudal baron A feudal baron is a vassal holding a heritable fief called a ''barony'', comprising a specific portion of land, granted by an overlord in return for allegiance and service. Following the end of European feudalism, feudal baronies have largely be ...

y. Its origins lie in the grant of a large, compact set of landholdings in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, made between the

Norman conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

in 1066 and the completion of the

Domesday Survey Domesday Book ( ; the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book") is a manuscript record of the Great Survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...

in 1086. An expansive set of landholdings spanning sixty

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

and six

wapentakes A hundred is an administrative division that is geographically part of a larger region. It was formerly used in England, Wales, some parts of the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and in Cumberland County in the British Colony of ...

in Yorkshire, the honour was created primarily to serve a strategic, defensive function in a potentially hostile frontier zone. The first lord was

Ilbert de Lacy de Lacy (Laci, Lacie, Lascy, Lacey, Lassey) is the surname of an old Norman family which originated from Lassy, Calvados. The family took part in the Norman Conquest of England and the later Norman invasion of Ireland. The name is first reco ...

, who built a castle at

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district in West Yorkshire, England. It lies to the east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the ...

which became the

caput A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may not ...

of the honour. Alongside the Yorkshire holdings, a smaller number of dispersed possessions elsewhere in England belonged to the honour. After Lacy's death, his son succeeded him as lord before having the honour confiscated some time before c. 1116, after which it was regranted twice. Ilbert de Lacy's grandson recovered a two-thirds share in c. 1135, which passed through his heirs, then to a collateral branch in 1193; the final third share was reunited with the rest of the honour in 1205. In 1311, the honour was inherited by an heiress,

Alice Alice may refer to: * Alice (name), most often a feminine given name, but also used as a surname Literature * Alice (''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''), a character in books by Lewis Carroll * ''Alice'' series, children's and teen books by ...

, who married

Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster ( 1278 – 22 March 1322) was an English nobleman of the first House of Lancaster of the royal Plantagenet Dynasty. He was Earl of Lancaster, Leicester, and Derby from 1296 to 1322, and Earl of Lincoln and Sa ...

. After the earl's failed rebellion in 1322, the honour was confiscated and entered a period of royal ownership which ended in 1348 with a grant to Thomas's great-nephew, Henry of Grosmont, 4th Earl (later 1st Duke) of Lancaster. His daughter and heiress Blanche brought it through marriage to

John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399), was an English royal prince, military leader and statesman. He was the fourth son (third surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...

, who was also created

Duke of Lancaster The dukedom of Lancaster is a former Peerage of England, English peerage, created three times in the Middle Ages, which finally merged in the Crown when Henry V of England, Henry V succeeded to the throne in 1413. Despite the extinction of the ...

. After Gaunt died in 1399, his son and heir Henry of Bolingbroke was denied access to his Lancastrian inheritance (including the honour of Pontefract) by

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

; Henry seized the throne (as Henry IV) and retook the lands which had belonged to his father, after which the honour formed part of the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...

, which has ever since been private property of the English monarch.

History

Origins

was a Norman landowner of obscure origins. After the

which commenced in 1066,

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

gave Lacy a large

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

in the English county of

, which formed the basis of the honour.Carpenter (2016), pp. 2-3. The exact date of the honour's foundation is unclear; the historian W. E. Wightman suggested it was soon before 1086, but more recent studies (including those by the historian Sarah Rose) support the thesis that the first grants to Lacy may have taken place in the 1070s and were supplemented thereafter, finally with the royal manor of Tanshelf, which may have been granted shortly before the

(1086). The honour was established by the time of Domesday's completion – and substantial in size: it took up 141 entries in the survey's returns. In the historian David Carpenter's words, the fief "formed a compact block stretching from

Elland Elland is a market town in Calderdale, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated south of Halifax, by the River Calder and the Calder and Hebble Navigation. Elland was recorded as ''Elant'' in the Domesday Book of 1086. It ha ...

and

Golcar Golcar (pronounced ) is a village on a hillside crest above the Colne Valley in the Kirklees district, in West Yorkshire, England, west of Huddersfield, and just north of the River Colne and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The 2021 populatio ...

... to Brayton ..., from Grimston Grange and

Thorner Thorner is a rural village and civil parish in the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England, located between Seacroft and Wetherby. It had a population of 1,646 at the 2011 Census. Etymology The name of Thorner is first attested in the 1086 D ...

... to Hunshelf Hall ... surrounding the oyal manor of

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...

". The honour, which spanned approximately sixty parishes, six wapentakes and over 500 square miles, was deliberately created as a territorially compact unit: it was created primarily to serve a strategic function as a defensive bulwark in an important border zone.Rose (2009), p. 1. Lacy established a castle at

(in the former royal manor of Tanshelf), which became the

of this

honour Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself ...

.Round and Barron (1906), p. 313. He died during the reign of King William II. His son and heir, Robert de Lacy, succeeded to the honour.

c. 1115–c. 1135: Forfeiture

Robert de Lacy was banished from England some time between 1109 and 1115 or 1116.Burton (1999), pp. 60–61. His English estates were confiscated by the king and the honour of Pontefract was granted to Hugh de Laval, who the historian Janet Burton describes as "a Norman baron of secondary status". After Laval died c. 1129, the honour of Pontefract's sixty

knight's fee In feudal Anglo-Norman England and Ireland, a knight's fee was a unit measure of land deemed sufficient to support a knight. It would not only provide sustenance for himself, his family, and servants, but also the means to furnish himself and h ...

s were divided into three equal portions.Holmes (1899), p. xix. William Maltravers paid £1,000 for the reversion of Laval's estate for the term of 15 years, as well as £100 to marry Laval's

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

and take possession of her

marriage portion A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

and

dower Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settlement (law), settled on the bride (being given into trust instrument, trust) by agreement at the time of t ...

. Laval's widow brought two thirds of the honour to Maltravers, while the remaining third (consisting of 20 knight's fees) was inherited by Laval's son, Guy de Laval.Sanders (1960), p. 138.

c. 1135–1311: Return to the Lacy family

Maltravers was killed in 1135 shortly after the accession of King Stephen; afterwards, Robert de Lacy's son

Ilbert II de Lacy Ilbert II de Lacy (died 1141), Baron of Pontefract and Lord of Bowland, was an English noble. He was the eldest son of Robert de Lacy and Maud de Perche. Ilbert with his father, supported Robert Curthose against the claims of Henry I to the ...

was granted Maltravers' share of the honour of Pontefract and received a royal

pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

for his men's role in Maltravers' death. Guy de Laval and his successors retained the other part of the honour, which consisted mostly of the honour's outlying lands in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

and

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

. Ilbert II disappears from the historical record around 1141; his brother Henry de Lacy succeeded him in the honour of Pontefract.

Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln Gilbert de Gant, 1st Earl of Lincoln ( 1126 – 1156) was an English nobleman who fought for King Stephen during The Anarchy. He was the son of Walter de Gant (third son of the Domesday magnate Gilbert de Gant, Gant being a contemporary nam ...

, disputed Henry de Lacy's right to the honour (possibly because Gant's sister was Ilbert de Lacy's widow). The dispute was resolved through armed conflict, with Lacy retaining possession of the honour and Gant paying compensation to Prior of Pontefract for leaving the priory in ruins.Gamble (1954), p. 228. After

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

succeeded to the throne in 1154, he confirmed Lacy's possession and pardoned the family for supporting Stephen during

The Anarchy The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Duchy of Normandy, Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adel ...

. Lacy died in 1177. Henry de Lacy's heir was his son Robert de Lacy, who died childless in 1193. Robert bequeathed his lands to his cousin Aubrey de Lisours. In 1194, she settled the honour of Pontefract on her grandson,

Roger Roger is a masculine given name, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic languages">Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") ...

, who took the surname de Lacy.Cokayne and Gibbs (1929), p. 676, n. i, and p. 677. Five years later, Roger offered 500 marks to take possession of the Laval share of the honour of Pontefract, which was held by another Guy de Laval, though he did not recover possession immediately. In 1205, after Guy had taken up arms against him, King John granted the Laval share to Roger de Lacy, thus reuniting the whole of the honour. Lacy died in 1211 and his son

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

received

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

of the inheritance two years later. He became

Earl of Lincoln Earl of Lincoln is a title that has been created eight times in the peerage of England, most recently in 1572. The Hereditary peerage, earldom was held as a subsidiary title by the Duke of Newcastle, Dukes of Newcastle-under-Lyne, from 1768 to 1 ...

in 1232 and died in 1240. His heir was his son

Edmund Edmund is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Old English elements ''ēad'', meaning "prosperity" or "riches", and ''mund'', meaning "protector". Persons named Edmund include: People Kings and nobles *Ed ...

, who was a

minor Minor may refer to: Common meanings * Minor (law), a person not under the age of certain legal activities. * Academic minor, a secondary field of study in undergraduate education Mathematics * Minor (graph theory), a relation of one graph to an ...

; during his minority, his lands were placed under the guardianship of his mother,

Margaret de Quincy Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Old Iranian. It has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. It became le ...

, who remarried to

Walter Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke Walter Marshal, 5th Earl of Pembroke (119927 November 1245) was the fourth son of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Countess Isabel, the daughter of Richard son of Gilbert, earl of Striguil. He was a member of the Marshal Family. Early ...

. Edmund took possession of his inheritance, including the honour of Pontefract, in 1248. He died ten years later, leaving a son,

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

, as his heir. Henry was also a minor and his mother Alicia was awarded the guardianship of his lands. He came of age in 1272.

1311–1399: Lancastrian and royal ownership

After both of his sons had died, Henry de Lacy resigned the honour of Pontefract to the king in 1292.Round and Barron (1906), p. 309. The king regranted them to him and the heirs of his body with remainder to the king's brother Edmund, 1st Earl of Lancaster, and the heirs of his body; this effectively gave Lacy a life interest in the honour. In 1294, he regranted a life interest in the honour to himself, but this time with remainder to Edmund's son,

, who had married Lacy's daughter and heiress,

.La Patourel (1957), p. xix.Rose (2009), p. 201. Hence, after Henry de Lacy died in 1311, the honour passed to Alice and Thomas; he held it in right of her until his execution in 1322. The honour was then confiscated by

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

. His successor

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

granted it to his mother, queen

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpo ...

, for her life in 1327. However, she surrendered it to Edward III's queen

Philippa Philippa is a feminine given name meaning "lover of horses" or "horses' friend", from the Greek Philippos, which is derived from ''philein'', meaning to love and ''hippos'', meaning ''horse''. The English masculine form is Philip, which was form ...

in 1330. Successive

Earls of Lancaster The title of Earl of Lancaster was created in the Peerage of England in 1267. It was succeeded by the title Duke of Lancaster in 1351, which expired in 1361. (The most recent creation of the ducal title merged with the Crown in 1413.) King Henry ...

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

d the honour from her from c. 1340 until 1348, when Edward III regained it and granted it to the 4th Earl,

Henry of Grosmont Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster (– 23 March 1361) was an English statesman, diplomat, soldier, and Christian writer. The owner of Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, Grosmont was a member of the House of Plantagenet, which was ruling ...

, who was created

.Punshon (2002), p. 26, n. 47. After the duke died without a son in 1361, his lands were divided between his two daughters; the honour of Pontefract was given by the king to his daughter-in-law Blanche, the wife of

, one of the king's younger sons who was created Duke of Lancaster in 1363.Walker (2008). Gaunt died in February 1399; his son Henry of Bolingbroke was denied succession to his lands by

, who granted their custody to Edward, 2nd Duke of York; but later in 1399 Henry seized the throne and took back his father's lands, stipulating that the

thereafter be private property of the monarch."History"
''

''. Retrieved 19 November 2020. This included the honour of Pontefract, which was thereafter held by the king.

References

;Notes ;Citations {{Reflist, 30em ;Bibliography * Brown, A. L. and Henry Summerson
"Henry IV [Known as Henry Bolingbroke
">nown as Henry Bolingbroke">"Henry IV [Known as Henry Bolingbroke
''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (online ed., Oxford University Press, April 2020). Retrieved 19 November 2020. *Janet Burton, Burton, Janet, ''The Monastic Order in Yorkshire, 1069–1215'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999). * David Carpenter (historian), Carpenter, David
"Ilbert and Robert de Lacy"
Charters of William II and Henry I Project (2016). Retrieved 17 November 2020. * Cokayne, G. E. C., Vicary Gibbs, H. A. Doubleday and

Lord Howard de Walden Baron Howard de Walden is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ of summons in 1597 by Queen Elizabeth I for Admiral Lord Thomas Howard, a younger son of Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, by his second wife, the Honour ...

(eds.), ''

The Complete Peerage ''The Complete Peerage'' (full title: ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom Extant, Extinct, or Dormant''); first edition by George Edward Cokayne, Clarenceux King of Arms; 2nd edition re ...

'', 2nd ed., vol. 7 (London: The St Catherine Press, 1929). * Farrer, William (ed.), ''Early Yorkshire Charters'', vol. 3 (Edinburgh: Ballantyne, Hanson, 1916). * Gamble, G. G., "A History of Hunslet in the Later Middle Ages", in ''Miscellanea'', pt 3, Publications of the Thoresby Society, no. 41 (Leeds: Thoresby Society, 1954), pp. 222–258. *Holmes, Richard (ed.), ''The Chartulary of St John of Pontefract'', vol. 1, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series, no. 25 (Leeds:

Yorkshire Archaeological Society The Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society (YAHS), formerly known as the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, is a learned society and registered charity founded in 1863. It is dedicated to the study of the archaeology, history and people of ...

, 1899). * Horrox, Rosemary
"Edward [Edward of Langley, Edward of York
Second Duke of York"">dward of Langley, Edward of York"> "Edward [Edward of Langley, Edward of York
Second Duke of York" ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (online ed., Oxford University Press, September 2004). Retrieved 19 November 2020. *Keefe, Thomas K.
"Henry II"
''

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography ''The'' is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the ...

'' (online ed., Oxford University Press, September 2004). *Le Patourel, John (ed.), ''Documents Relating to the Manor and Borough of Leeds, 1066–1400'', Publications of the Thoresby Society, no. 45 (Leeds: Thoresby Society, 1957). * Punshon, Mark Christophe
"Government and Political Society in the West Riding of Yorkshire, 1399–1461"
(unpublished PhD thesis,

University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...

, 2002). *Rose, Sarah Anne
"Landed Society in the Honour of Pontefract, c. 1086–1509"
(unpublished PhD thesis,

Lancaster University Lancaster University (officially The University of Lancaster) is a collegiate public university, public research university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established in 1964 by royal charter, as one of several new univer ...

, 2009). * Round, J. Horace, and

Oswald Barron Arthur Oswald Barron (3 January 1868 – 24 September 1939) was a journalist and scholar on heraldic and genealogical subjects. Early life Born at West Ham in Essex, he was one of five children of Henry Stracey Barron (1838–1918), a consulti ...

, "Feudal Baronage", in

William Farrer William James Farrer (3 April 184516 April 1906) was a leading English Australian agronomist and plant breeder. Farrer is best remembered as the originator of the "Federation" strain of wheat, distributed in 1903. His work resulted in significa ...

and John Brownhill (eds.), '' The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Lancashire'', vol. 1 (London: Archibald Constable and Co., 1906), pp. 291–375. * Sanders, I. J., ''English Baronies: A Study of Their Origin and Descent, 1086–1327'' (Oxford:

Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 1960). *Sharpe, Richard, and David Carpenter
"Pontefract Priory"
Charters of William II and Henry I Project (2013). Retrieved 19 November 2020. *Tout, T. F., ''Chapters in the Administrative History of Medieval England: The Wardrobe, the Chamber and the Small Seals'', vol. 3 (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1928). *

Walker Walker or The Walker may refer to: People *Walker (given name) *Walker (surname) *Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer Places In the United States *Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County *Walker, Mono County, California * ...

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

"John [John of Gaunt
Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Lancaster, Styled King of Castile and León"">ohn of Gaunt">"John [John of Gaunt
Duke of Aquitaine and Duke of Lancaster, Styled King of Castile and León" ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (online ed., Oxford University Press, May 2008). Retrieved 19 November 2020.